We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julian Vaca. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julian below.

Julian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Storytelling is in my DNA. My mother is an extremely talented visual artist, and my late abuela—her mother—was too. My father plays multiple instruments and was a career sound engineer, having worked at CBS, FOX, CMT, and more. As a child, my sisters and I were always resourced and encouraged to pursue whatever we wanted to. But it wasn’t until I was in middle school and our family relocated from California to rural Tennessee that I saw the healing potential in creating. As a Mexican American growing up in the south, I experienced a disconnect between my peers. And while the racism and microagressions I navigated weren’t debilitating, it still gnawed at me. It still made me question my place, my worth. Creativity—expressed in writing, acting, and short films—became my escape. After graduating from Nashville School of the Arts (a magnet high school) and earning my undergraduate degree from Watkins College, the question was no longer if creativity could inform my career—but how and when.

Julian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While I love many forms of creativity, my heart belongs to writing. My debut Young Adult series “The Memory Index” (HarperCollins) published in 2022 and is available wherever books are sold. The first book was a Tome Student Literacy Society “It List Book Award” Nominee in 2023. And I was fortunate enough to receive the 2023 Nashville Literacy Leader Award (presented by Book’em).

I was also staff writer on season 3 and 4 of PBS’s “Reconnecting Roots,” a nationally broadcast show that drew in millions of viewers over its first two seasons. I’m the co-writer of “Pencils Vs Pixels,” a feature-length documentary that’s executive produced by Disney animation legend Tom Bancroft and co-directed by Phil Earnest. The film debuted in France at the Annecy International Film Festival.

My writing has appeared in The Nerd Daily, Writer’s Digest, and more. I’m a PEN/Faulkner Writers in School author, a member of the SCBWI, a Hey! Young Writer mentor, and a writing instructor for The Porch—a Nashville-based literacy program.

Writing is at the core of everything I do—both personally and professionally.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

This is such a relevant question, certainly with AI at the forefront of seemingly every conversation. I think it’s really important for all of us to actively and intentionally celebrate art. This plays out by purchasing local, by attending and participating in community art festivals and pop-ups, by employing and empowering individual artists over corporations. It may seem small, but the ripple effects are far-reaching when we come together to celebrate creativity in this way—when we choose the human experience over the alternative.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

After graduating college, I immediately accepted a full time position in sales. This choice was motivated by student loans, being newly married, and wanting to be able to earn a consistent income. However, after only two-ish years into my stint in corporate America, I found myself creatively unfulfilled. This is not to say that there aren’t opportunities for creative expression at traditional desk jobs; I just didn’t know where to find them. So, at the encouragement of my wife, I resigned from that job and made a career move. I started working part-time at a local bookstore and spent all my free time writing. In that season, I was able to self-publish several books, land speaking engagements at libraries and schools, and even worked as a creative writing instructor for a non-profit that empowered students with the written word. That season laid the foundation for my future. Now, years later, I’m a traditionally published author with a major publisher, and I’m an Art Director for an agency that produces commercial content for colleges and universities. Things continue to come full circle, and I’m grateful to God for the doors He continues to open to this day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JulianRayVaca.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JulianRayVaca/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulianRVaca
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianrayvaca/

Image Credits
Chris Haggerty